African palm civet

The African palm civet (Nandinia binotata), or two-spotted palm civet, is a small mammal.^[2] It is in the Feliformia suborder.^[1]

African palm civet
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Nandiniidae Pocock, 1929
Genus:	Nandinia Gray, 1843
Species:	N. binotata
Binomial name
Nandinia binotata (Gray, 1830)
African palm civet range
Synonyms[2]
Viverra binotata Gray 1830

It has short legs, small ears, a body like a civet cat, and a long lithe tail as long as its body. Adults usually weigh 1.70 to 2.10 kg (3.7 to 4.6 lb). It is native to the forests of eastern Africa and the Congo River basin. It usually lives in trees, and it is omnivorous: it eats rodents, insects, eggs, carrion, fruit, birds and fruit bats. The animal is generally solitary and nocturnal.

Although it looks like other civet species (in the family Viverridae), the African palm civet is genetically distinct: they probably diverged from other civets before the cats did. They are therefore classified as the only species in the genus Nandinia and in their own family, Nandiniidae. However, not all experts accept this.

References

1. Van Rompaey H; Gaubert P. & Hoffmann M. (2008). "Nandinia binotata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 22 March 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
2. Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.